Electrical connection



Aug. 14, 1956 G. USTIN ETAL 2,759,163

ELECTRICAL CONNECTION Filed Sept. 13, 1951 INVENTORS George ZJSiZ/ United States Patent Ofifice 2,759,163 Patented Aug. 14, 1956 ELECTRICAL CONNECTION George Ustin, Palisade Park, and Paul Haucke, Nixon,

N. J., assignors to Continental Copper & Steel Industries, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application September 13, 1951, Serial No. 246,402

'3 Claims. (Cl. 339-217) The present invention relates to an electric blade construction and it particularly relates to a blade or prong construction which may be used in connection with electrical connection plugs or the like.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a novel electrical connection blade construction which may be readily manufactured from a continuous strip of metal at relatively high speed and which may be readily associated with insulated electrical Wires or conductors and which at the same time will not result in rupture or breakage of the insulation and which will also provide sufiicient space for the expansion of the insulation upon connection.

Another object is to provide a novel electrical plug construction with an improved blade or prong element which will permit ready connection of insulated wiring thereto without rupture of the insulation and with convenient provision for expansion of the insulation which will be more readily adaptable to different sizes of Wire having different amounts of insulation thereon.

Still further objects and advantages will appear in the more detailed description set forth below, it being understood, however, that this more detailed description is given by way of illustration and explanation only and not by way of limitation, since various changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

In accomplishing the above objects it has been found most satisfactory, according to one embodiment of the present invention, to provide a prong folded so as to have a double thickness of metal, with the thicknesses separated, if desired, to give resiliency to the connection Desirably, the blade is provided with two folded-around tapes, one to engage the inside Wiring and the other to fold around and engage the insulation at the base of the blade and hold the same firmly in position.

A particular feature of the present invention resides in the fact that between the prongs or wrapped-around tangs for engaging the insulation adjacent the base of the blade there is provided a recess or opening for expansion of the insulation and to accommodate various sizes of electrical adapters with varying thicknesses of copper or aluminum wires and various thicknesses of insulation thereon.

To accommodate and prevent undue expansion of the insulation into the recess, a return bent spring finger is provided, both to hold the insulation in position and to resist excessive extrusion of the insulation into the gap provided therefor.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more specifically described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a top plan view of the finished electrical prong or blade, according to the present invention, with the electrical connector or insulated Wire firmly attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view upon the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view upon the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view upon the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view similar to Fig. 1, showing the blade after separation from the continuous strip from which it has been formed but before attachment of the electrical wire or adapter thereto.

Fig. 6 isa longitudinal vertical sectional the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a transverse end elevational view upon the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a transverse vertical sectional view upon the line 88 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view upon a small scale as compared to Figs. 1 to 8 of the continuous strip of metal after it has been bent, formed, shaped and stamped to form a strip of readily separable blades or prongs, as indicatedin Figs. 1 to 8.

Fig; 10 is a side elevational view of an alternative or modified blade or prong construction.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 8, there is shown an electrical blade or prong A having a multiple layer portion 13 formed of a folded strip of metal, which fold may be a closed fold, such as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, or an open fold, as shown at C in Fig. 10, to enhance the resiliency and enable a tighter connection to be made when the blade A is insertedin arecess in a socket as part of an electrical connection plug.

The blade has connected therewith two attachment tangs D for holding the wiring E or metallic members of an electrical conductor and it also has two wrap-around prongs or tangs F for wrapping around and engaging the insulation G of a conductor.

A particular feature of the present invention resides in the escape or expansion gap H, which permits a limited expansion of the insulation G.

Associated with this expansion gap H and the insulation G is the spring finger I, which limits the expansion of the insulation G through the gap H and holds it in position.

Referring specifically to Figs. 1 to 8, the blade B has two metal plates 10 and 11 which are folded together as indicated at 12 and are provided with openings 13 and 14 to receive a connection retention member (not shown).

The upper strip 10 will terminate at 15 while the lower strip 11 will continue at 16. This will form a shoulder for the end 17 of the metallic wiring E.

The lower plate or strip 11 is cut out, as indicated at 18, to form two upwardly extending tangs or prongs 19 and 20, the inner faces of which are serrated or roughened, as indicated at 21, better to grip the metallic Wiring 17. The ends are cut off obliquely, as indicated at 22 and 23, and when they are wrapped around the wire 17, there will be a gap 24, as shown.

These oblique, cut-off tangs or wrap-around connections 19 and 20 extend upwardly from the sides of the neck 25 and form a cylinder, as indicated at K in Fig. 3.

Beyond the uncovered portion E of the electrical conductor is the insulation G, which is enclosed by the rolledover, obliquely cut-ofi tangs 35 and 36, between which is the space 37. These elements are cut off obliquely, as indicated at 38 and 39, in an opposite direction to the cut-offs 22 and 23 of the elements 19 and 20, with the view upon result'thatthe gaps 24 and 37, respectively, will extend substantially at right angles to each other, especially as shown in Fig. 1.

Between the wrap-around engagement element 35 and 36 is the recess H of the base end of the blade.

Turned back from the end of the blade is the tongue which is connected to the base portion 40 at 42. The tongue will extend backwardly under the opening H and will be upturned as indicated at 43 and provided with the serrated recess 44, which will hold and prevent excessive bulging of the insulation, as indicated at 45.

In Fig. 9 is shown how the blades, before attachment of the wire attachment of Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8, may be stamped out of a sheet of metal.

It will be noted that the individual blades A are formed by folding a strip of metal extending from the edge 15 to the edge 46 of the inturned tongue I.

The upwardly extending elements 19 and 20 and 35 and 36 as well as theinturned tongues 41 will be formed during the operation.

The connection between the prongs or blades A then may be broken at the break lines 47 to give the individual elements as shown in Figs. to 8.

Then by readily applying the conductor EG, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2-, and folding over the elements 19 and 20 around the wires E and 35 and 36 around the insulation G, the final connection will be formed, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

Fig. merely shows a blade formed of two elements 55 and 56 folded together at 57 with a bowed-up portion 58, leaving the space 59 to enhance the resiliency. In this embodiment the edge 62 will form the shoulder abutting the end of the wire while the neck 60 will have the inside tangs wrapped around it, as shown.

The applicant has thus provided a simple, readily construction plate or prong arrangement for electrical plugs which is capable of continuous production from a strip of metal at a relatively high speed and at relatively low cost, per unit.

The connection of the wire or conductor to the blade or prong may be most easily eifected in the manner shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and there is sufiicient space because of the provision of the recess H for insulation G of difierent thicknesses.

The tongue I at the same time will prevent excessive expansion.

While there has been herein described a preferred form of the invention, it should be understood that the same may be altered in details and in relative arrangement of parts within the scope of the appended claims.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention, and in What manner the same is to be performed, what is claimed is:

1. An electrical integralone-piece blade construction having a folded double-thickness sheet metal rectangular prong at one end with a conduit connection at the other end, said connection having separated pairs of parallel wrap-around tangs to wrap around and hold separately the metallic interior of the conduit and the insulation around the conduit and said connection being an integral extension of one of the thickness of said sheet metal and having said spaced pairs of parallel tangs extending upwardly from the sides of said connection, there being a central opening adjacent the end of said connection and the end of said connection having a reversely bent con nection projecting under and extending upwardly toward said opening.

2. An electrical connection blade having one rectangular end blade portion and an opposite end having parallel spaced upstanding tangs to wrap respectively around the wire interior of the conduit and the insulating exterior, said opposite end having an opening to receive and relieve the bulging of the insulation and a reversely bent integral tongue extending backwardly from the opposite end to contact and limit the bulging of said insulation through said opening.

3. A blade having a conduit connector including a narrow extension with an intermediate neck having a pair of upwardly extending side tangs to wrap around the wires of said conduit and with a wider end portion having a central opening with a second pair of upwardly extending tangs extending from the side edges of said opening and a reversely bent tongue from the end of said connector extending reversely under and upwardly toward said opening and serving partly to close said opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,575,656 Stratford et al Mar. 9, 1926 1,921,745 Grace Aug. 8, 1933 2,297,785 Lake Oct. 6, 1942 2,370,725 Gordon Mar. 6, 1945 2,371,494 Benander Mar. 13, 1945 2,462,867 Hubbell Mar. 1, 1949 2,476,738 Klumpp, Jr. July 19, 1949 2,501,870 Malhiot Mar. 28, 1950 2,601,276 Gordon June 24, 1952 2,645,760 Fortino July 14, 1953 2,648,050 Berg Aug. 4, 1953 

